Athletes can tie their entire identity to their sporting exploits. PDP contributor & mental performance expert, John Haime shares insight into the challenge for athletes coming to the end of their career, illustrating the importance of developing the person. The...
Ase Strandbu, Kari Stefansen, Ingrid Smette, and Morten Rensio Sandvik The Big Idea “Involved parenthood” in organized youth sports is what these Norwegian researchers are attempting to better understand. Child-centered parenting they note—using the United States as an example—is still...
Cameron Knowles has been part of the Portland Timbers organisation for well over a decade. Following a 7 year professional playing career at Real Salt Lake, the Timbers and Montreal Impact, Cameron made the move into coaching where he worked...
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Download Now FREEAwareness, decision-making, perception and execution are all part of skill acquisition. PDP contributor & Founder of TOVO Institute, Todd Beane shares an article on coaching methodology to enhance players cognitive fitness. Are your players cognitively fit? If you are like...
PDP Video Session Plans are adaptable sessions designed by academy coach, Dave Wright. All sessions show key focus points, set up, and progressions so you can use them in your next practice.
PDP Video Session Plans are adaptable sessions designed by academy coach, Dave Wright. All sessions show key focus points, set up, and progressions so you can use them in your next practice.
J. Bartholomew, N. Ntoumanis, and C. Ntoumanis The Big Idea Let’s begin this research review with an illustration. In sports, there is a difference between players who are merely involved and players who are fully committed. (You will have to...
The question this week comes from Dave, via Twitter: “Is hunger or desire coachable? I have some Under 13 players who are lacking in desire but they have a good technical base.” Additional Resources Research Review – Controlling Motivational...
Frenkie De Jong is one of Dutch Football’s brightest stars. PDP Lead Researcher James Vaughan examines a recent interview with De Jong and shares some brilliant research around knowledge and learning, helping coaches understand how to create a learning environment...
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As a coach, it’s easy to overlook the sacrifices players and their parents make to pursue their love of sport. With support from Murray United Technical Director, Adam Carty, PDP Contributor, Lara Mossman shares an article on commitment and motivation...
What value does belonging have in youth development? PDP Contributor & Chief Content Officer at Changing the Game Project, Reed Maltbie shares a personal story that outlines the critical importance of the environments we create and the tribes we belong...
Premature professionalism in youth sport is a growing problem. Environments created to replicate professional sport, ‘elite’ pathways at 8-years-old and coaches removing autonomy from the environment by exerting total control. In this article, PDP Editor, Dave Wright challenges the status...
How do you communicate with your players? In this article PDP Technical Advisor, Dan Wright shares some fascinating reflections and advice for coaches on how to effectively question and communicate with players to make sure they genuinely think about solutions...
Player Development Project Assistant Editor, Jon Hoggard, looks at some of the recent top stories in world football, through the lens of PDP values and philosophies. Abuse shows erosion of values You’d hope that the press headlines after a Chelsea...
PDP Video Session Plans are adaptable sessions designed by academy coach, Dave Wright. All sessions show key focus points, set up, and progressions so you can use them in your next practice.
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In our very first PDP Live Session, UEFA A licensed coach, Dave Wright demonstrates a 4 v 4 + 4 possession and positional practice.Working with twelve U15 players, Dave demonstrates how coaches can deliver an opposed passing and possession practice with a number of technical aims. This practice provides high repetition of passing receiving skills under pressure, variety of decision-making and encourages players to take up positions in space so they can play forward early.Dave includes some individual challenges for central players and goalkeepers as well as working on quick transition. This session can be adapted from 9-15 players and distances adjusted to alter difficulty in or out of possession. Dave will talk through what he’s observing as the session unfolds and work with the players on taking risks, encourage players to decide when to keep possession or progress with the ball, work on different receiving shapes and how to break lines with forward passes.
What are team values and how do they influence culture? In the first of a two part feature, International Coach Developer and expert in culture in sport, John Alder discusses the balance of team culture and how often this is...
PDP Video Session Plans are adaptable sessions designed by academy coach, Dave Wright. All sessions show key focus points, set up, and progressions so you can use them in your next practice.
What value do stories play in sport? Making sense of the sporting narrative and being able to translate and challenge these ideas in our coaching is a critical part of player development. Tradition plays a huge part in the systems...
Edu Rubio is a UEFA Pro Licensed coach who works at MK Dons as the Head of Coach Development & U18 Manager. Edu joins the PDP team for an interactive discussion which covers a range of topics to help developing coaches. We question Edu on his personal journey, what coach behaviours he looks for in his staff, implementing a playing style, flexible formations and the importance of authenticity an...
Pedro Passos, Duarte Araújo, Keith Davids The Big Idea Since these investigators brought it up in their abstract’s first sentence, let’s briefly talk about ant colonies as a bridge to the subject of self-organization in field-invasion team sports. Imagine this. ...
How does a teacher or coach transition to a learner-centric view where you can allow the learner to explore and develop within the environment? Co-founder of Myfastestmile, Mark Upton reflects on how coaches can facilitate this process. The image...
Game sense, how do we develop it? PE Teacher & regular PDP contributor, Sporticus shares his innovative approach to PE and helping his students develop skill and game understanding in cricket through realistic scenarios, interactions and guided discovery. As...
Regular PDP Contributor and Founder of TOVO Institute, Todd Beane explains the importance of a ‘less is more’ approach to communicating with players on the pitch and asks: Are you at peace on the sidelines? Johan Cruyff changed the...
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Brisbane Roar FCSteve Kirby has over 15 years experience working in academy football in England. Formerly Lead Youth Development Phase Coach at MK Dons, Steve is now the U18 Assistant Coach at Leicester City FC. In this interview, PDP Editor, Dave Wright...
What place does chaos have in development? Co-founder of myfastestmile and top PDP contributor, Mark Upton shares a thought provoking article on the balance between chaos and order and how it might impact on the environments we create, referencing the...
Balague, C. Torrents, R. Hristovski, K. Davids, and D. Araujo The Big Idea Leonard Cohen (1934-2016) was a legendary Canadian poet, singer-songwriter, and novelist. The following lyrics are from his 1992 album The Future and the song “Anthem”: Ring the...
PDP Video Session Plans are adaptable sessions designed by academy coach, Dave Wright. All sessions show key focus points, set up, and progressions so you can use them in your next practice.
In this PDP Live Session, UEFA A licensed coach Dave Wright shares a practice which encourages players to play 1v1 and cope with pressure on the ball to develop confidence with individual possession.Dave takes us through the why behind the session, presenting the plan and some individual position specific challenges. The session emphasises the importance of ball retention, bravery and creativity in attack whilst encouraging defenders to use their body and secure possession.This physically demanding practice is great for multidirectional speed, mental resilience and can be adapted for players of different ages.
In this Masterclass Discussion, PDP Lead Researcher, James Vaughan shares part four of the FC Barcelona series, developed after James’ 12 months living in Barcelona. In this discussion, PDP Editor Dave Wright hosts James in a conversation on the historical...
Social dynamics are a crucial part of any team environment. Integrating new players and ensuring they have a positive experience is a key component of coaching. In this article, new PDP Contributor & PhD Candidate at La Trobe University, Dianna...
In our very first PDP Live Session, UEFA A licensed coach, Dave Wright demonstrates a 4 v 4 + 4 possession and positional practice.Working with twelve U15 players, Dave demonstrates how coaches can deliver an opposed passing and possession practice with a number of technical aims. This practice provides high repetition of passing receiving skills under pressure, variety of decision-making and encourages players to take up positions in space so they can play forward early.Dave includes some individual challenges for central players and goalkeepers as well as working on quick transition. This session can be adapted from 9-15 players and distances adjusted to alter difficulty in or out of possession. Dave will talk through what he’s observing as the session unfolds and work with the players on taking risks, encourage players to decide when to keep possession or progress with the ball, work on different receiving shapes and how to break lines with forward passes.